"I was jerking off, and rubbing my hands on my body. My stomach was hard, and I could feel the abs below. They were as hard as rocks. I moved my hand to my pecs, and there was a ridge there. My stomach had always been soft before, and my chest flat. Suddenly, I could even flex the muscle and feel that ridge harden. In weeks, I noticed the gap between my chest deepen. My nipples became more sensitive as my chest got bigger and stronger. The abs on my stomach became pronounced ridges. As I ran my hand over my body, I would bask in its hardness and its size. It got me off. And look at me now!" Jeff flexed his pecs and abs and ran a hand over them. His huge bicep balled on his arm as he felt his power. "And it's all because of you, Jim." Jeff stopped stroking his hand, and grabbed Jim's. He moved it over his abs, then up to his pecs. "Feel that. You did this for me." Jeff pulled Jim close and kissed him.

Their encounters had continued through the summer. Jeff's strength increased, as did the amount of muscle hormone his body was producing. Jeff was by far the strongest of the supermen. His lifts were even heavier than Tom's, though that was Jim's secret. He didn't think his brother needed to know that, and this project was suppose to be some sorta government secret. Though both Charlie and Tom knew about Jeff, they didn't need to know just how successful the project had been. He didn't want to tell them that the level in hormone in Jeff's system was twice as much as Charlies'.

As the summer ended, Jeff was told he had to go back to his base for one month. He was to train for some secret mission that would test just how successful the transformation had been. The research lab claimed success, but the military was harder to convince.

Jim's other research project was blocked. He couldn't figure out what caused the hormone to appear in a subject's system, nor why some people had more hormone than others. It was frustrating. Jim didn't want to admit that maybe he was a bit distracted by his affair with Jeff.

Jim got a break a few days after Jeff left. He was looking a the various physicological data, trying to correlate hormone production with weight, height, muscle density, even eye color. Nothing was working. On a lark, he tried dick size. Bingo. It seemed that the bigger the guy's dick, the more hormone in his system. Using an exponential, he got a correlation of .9 with a probability that it was by random chance of less than 1 in ten thousand. Suddenly, it seemed obvious to him. He needed to map the Y chromosome.

Over the next few weeks, he did his mapping. Sure enough, the gene that affected the hormone and the gene that affected dick size were adjacent. Jim had discovered why the supermen had different levels of hormone in their systems. Now, why didn't he?

Jim decided to share some of his findings with Dr. Apple. Unfortunately, the computers in his office were down. He decided to leave the professor a note in his office. Dr.Apple had trusted Jim with a key in case of emergencies, and Jim was too excited to wait.

Jim didn't mean to spy, well, not a first. He was writing his note when he noticed a folder on the doctor's desk. It was labeled, "Proposal for Research into Muscle Hypertrophy." Jim innocently picked it up and began to read. He recognized the first two components as the study of the genetic mutation in men and enducing the genetic mutation in normals. He was shocked at the third part.

"Lastly, the government and criminal justice system has expressed concern about the uncontrollable nature of men with enhanced genetic muscle hypertrophy. A third study will be done to neutralize these men. We intend to investigate ways to turn off the genetic mutation or eliminate it from the subject's system, turning them into normals."

Jim kept reading. "To test subject with enduced genetic hypertrophy, we propose a search and capture of person or person's with naturally occurring hypertrophy. Upon capture, subject two will receive a neutralizing agent." Only one word ran through Jim's mind, "Jeff!".

Jim put down the folder and scanned other document's lying around the professor's office. He found a second folder, "Acquition of subject for study 3."

"Target subject is William Neal. Mr. Neal has an active criminal record dating to his sixteenth birthday. Early criminal activities include vandalism, destruction of property and assault and battery. These activities demonstrate that subject is a genetic muscle hypertrope. Correlated activities including throwing a 1964 oldsmobile car across a football field, destruction of a school gymnasium, and assault on a football team. Subject was arrested but escaped from jail by breaking a hole in the wall with his fist. Subject was recaptured four years ago during an attempted bank robbery. Subject decided to stay in jail for two years, where he showed marked aggressive tendencies. Subject spent all his time in the jail's weight pen. Subject escaped a second time, destroying a wing of the jail and freeing 75 prisoners. Subject remains free and hidden." Jeff was sent to get him.

Jim needed to talk to Tom and Charlie. He told them about the third part of the study, and they were concerned. Charlie laughed when he heard that the plan was to depower the guy who beat him up. "Serves him right," was Charlie's response. Both seemed to think that criminals deserved what they got. Jim wasn't reassured.

Jeff got back a week later, one week early. During the weekly research meeting, Dr. Apple reported that the military test was a success and that a study 3 subject would be run the next day. Jim found Jeff in the exercise room.

"How are you feeling," Jim asked, trying not to sound concerned.

"Strong!" said Jeff, finishing another rep and breaking his own record on military presses. Jeff smiled, and Jim proceeded to monitor his progress like it was any normal day.

After his work out, Jim followed Jeff into the changing room. Jeff picked Jim up, kissed him and nearly crushed him in a super bear hug.

"I know about the mission," Jim confided. "What happened? Are you really OK?"

Jeff laughed. "Hell ya. I'm not suppose to tell much, but since you know. It was awesome! They told me about this guy. A real asswipe. Big, strong, used his muscle to intimidate guys weaker. And most guys are weaker, let me tell you."

"Ya, and you had to find him?"

"Find him and take him down. They told me the guy liked to fight. Real brutal fights too. That made it easy. I went to a gym that trained boxers and power lifters. Did a little sparring and attracted the attention of some guys. They hooked me into the fight club network. A guy like this Neal character can't hide there. People talk. I heard he was in Pittsburgh, and went there. There's a fight in what they call Sliberty every Thursday. Sure enough, he showed up."

"You fought in a fight club?"

"Oh no. Well yes, but not in Pittsburgh. That would have blown my cover. I fought around the base, but I didn't win. I was told to keep a low profile. So anyway, I staked out this place and saw Neal going in. Let me tell you, William Neal is a big boy. Guys were coming out unconscious, carried by their friends that looked like the building had collapsed on them. Neal came out holding a wad of money. Not the best neighborhood for it, but the guy could take care of himself. I followed him until I was sure no one else was around. That's when I made my move."

"I ran around the block and got in front of him. I stepped out of the shadow right in his path. 'William Neal, you're coming with me!' I said." Jeff stood arms akimbo showing what he did. Shirtless and in his spandex, he did look sexy and tough, but Jim still had to laugh. Jeff scowled, then laughed too. "OK, it's hokey, but I had to say something. And yes, he laughed to."

"'Listen Batman, get out of my way or I'll be forced to hurt ya.'"

"Batman?" Jim asked.

"Oh, I was dressed in black. Makes it easier to hide in the dark. These are the things you learn in covert ops."

"So," Jeff continued, "I said to him, 'I know all about you Neal. You're a wanted criminal, and I'm hear to do something about it'."

"'You and what army?'"

"'I'm my own army.' He laughed at that, but I stepped closer. Neal flexed his arm and said, 'See this? This is the last thing you're gonna see.' He threw the first punch, right to my gut. Ya know, Jimmy, I flexed. I was prepared and his punch didn't even hurt. It just bounced off. 'That all you got?' was my response, and it was my turn to laugh at him. Jim, it felt good. This is the type of guy that always mocked me cause I was so weak. Now, he was the weak one."

"'Fuck'n strong man, huh? Guess they learned. Ain't no one stronger than me, now, though. I've been workin' out, and ain't no one stronger or tougher than me anymore.' He threw another fist that bounced off my flexed pecs. The next punch, I caught. I held his punch with one hand, and I flexed my other bi. I could tell, it was bigger than his. And STRONGER."

"'See this, Willie? This is the last thing you're gonna see. I took the fist I was holding and muscled it behind his back, twisting him around. Sure, he resisted. He fought with everything he had. But I had more. I wrapped my other hand around his neck. He flexed, but I flexed my bi, crushing his neck muscles with my granite hard arm. Within 90 seconds, he was out cold. I carried him back to my truck, drove to the local National Guard station where they had a team waiting for me. They tranquilized him, and now he's in some hospital room around here. I'm suppose to guard him tomorrow during the doc's experiment. Will you be there?"

"I wouldn't miss it," lied Jim.

It was a lie because Jim wasn't suppose to know about the top-secret third study. But Dr. Apple liked him. Jim played dumb and asked about the study they talked about in the research meeting. Dr. Apple invited him and he accepted.

Jimmy took a seat in the obersation lounge. Dr. Apple was below talking with a couple MPs. Jeff wasn't anywhere to be seen. Neither was Neal. In the observation room was a few grad students, a couple faculty members and about 30 army officers. After a few minutes, Dr. Apple looked up and began to speak.

"Good afternoon. Thank you for coming. I'm Roger Apple, the chief investigator of this project. Today, we demonstrate the third phase of our muscle hypertrophy project. As most of you are aware, phase two has been a major success. We have been able to induce genetic muscle hypertrophy in a hypotrophic subject, in essence creating a superman. Within the past few days, our subject has proven the success of our treatments by capturing a dangerous criminal. That criminal is the subject of today's test."

"Let me assure members of the Research Review Board that what will happen has been authorized by a court of law. All the proper paperwork is in place, and the subject will be remanded to the criminal justice system after this experiment."

"The subject will receive two injections. The first, " Dr Apple holds up a syringe filled with an orange liquid, "is an anti-hormonal. The subject his a high degree of naturally occuring hormone in his system. In fact, the subject is in the top percentile of hormone producers."

"Doctor," a general in the gallery interrupted, "How does private Partridge compare to this man?"

"Jeff Partridge has begun to naturally produce approximately 1/3 more hormone than William Neal, General. As I was saying, Mr. Neal will recieve an injection of anti-hormonal. Our model demonstrates that withing minutes, Mr. Neal will loose his ability to hyper-contract his muscle tissue. Although he will retain his musculature for now, he will loose his super strength. He will become a normal, with the strength perphaps of a powerlifter. Nothing more."

There was a murmur from the crowd. "Doctor, what precautions have you taken for your and our safety?"

"Private Partridge will supervise the prisoner. In fact, the prisoner is awake now in another room under the Private's supervision."

"The second part of the experiment," Doctor Apple holds up a second vial, "we will inject the subject with a viral agent to remove the hypertropic mutation. In short, the subject will permanently lose his strength and size. He will become a normal. Our graduate student James Simon was instrumental in the use of viruses for this purpose." Several faculty members smiled at Jim.

One of the faculty chimed in, "Roger, what is the application of this project?"

Doctor Apple signalled to an MP, who left the room. "The technique is being developed for National Security and the criminal justice system. It is intended to be used against asocials and enemy combatants."

The door opened, and the MP came in, followed by Jeff pushing a stretcher. Jeff was in fatigues that looked a size or two too small for his massive body. William Neal was lying on the stretcher, bound by metal chains. He was bleeding. Jim recognized him as the bank robber that Tommy had duped when they got the money for Jim's college education.

"I'm sorry that apparently Private Partridge had to subdue the prisoner," said Dr. Apple. Turning to Neal, "Mr. Neal. I'm Dr. Apple. As I told you, I will be giving you an injection. I ask that you lie still for two minutes, then you may do whatever you want. No one will stop you."

"What about him?"

"Private Partridge is under orders to let you leave, if that is what you want."

"Ya know, these chains can't hold me." Neal started to flex and rise, but Jeff jumped over and pushed him back down. He held him while the doctor pulled out the needle.

"In two minutes, Mr. Neal." Dr. Apple gave him the injection. The clock ticked and the gallery was silent. Neal bragged about breaking walls and lifting weights, taking down men and throwing cars. Everyone ignored him.

"Ok, Mr. Neal. You may get up now, if you can." Jeff stepped back.

"Can? Fuck ya." Neal flexed and tried to rise. Nothing happened. He grunted and forced himself up. The chains held. Sweat appeared on his face and his muscles bulged. His once hard muscles were forced down by the metal. "What the fuck? Whadya do to me."

"Why, nothing Mr. Neal. You're just normal, that's all." Dr. Apple gave him the second injection as Jeff snickered and bounced his massive chest, so Neal could see. •